Converse apologized this week after a converse ad featuring Karina drew online comparisons to Ku Klux Klan hoods and lynching imagery. The brand said it removed the image from its channels and was still working to pull it from everywhere it appeared.
In the disputed photo, Karina, the face of the Chuck 70 X and Run Star Crush campaign, stood inside a Converse star while holding two shoes on her left side. Social media users focused on the lighting on the skirt, which they said formed a white triangle shape that resembled a KKK hood.
Karina and Converse ad backlash
Converse said, “We’re sorry. We understand why this image is deeply upsetting and recognize that we got this wrong.” It added, “This should not have happened, and we will do better.” The company’s response followed criticism over photos from two separate ad campaigns, not just the Karina image.
The controversy widened because another image from the Converse x Palmes campaign for the Jack Purcell PDM sneaker collection, released earlier this month, also drew attention online. In that Converse Malaysia Instagram post, a man climbed a ladder while holding shoes that dangled above him from a tree, while another man looked up.
Threads still showed the image
Converse said it had removed the image from its channels, but as of writing it still remained on the brand’s Threads account. That gap matters for anyone tracking the company’s cleanup: the apology landed quickly, yet the takedown was not complete across every channel at the same moment.
The backlash landed in a charged context. The Ku Klux Klan formed in 1865, and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley and 59 colleagues called on the DOJ and FBI on Sept. 10 to investigate a series of incidents involving Black people found hanging across the country. In 2026 alone, there have been 10 reported hangings.
Converse star image
One Threads user, ohthatmomglow, wrote, “Showed my 13-year-old the new Converse ad with no context and said, ‘What does this make you think of?’ and within 2 seconds she said, ‘The KKK.’ It really is that big of a deal,” while akwasichr1s posted, “The Klan silhouette is one thing. But the tree, ladder, and person in the distance looking up while holding up Converse shoes,” followed by “Abhorrent. Unfathomable. Repugnant.”
Converse has worked with Black athletes, entertainers, and brand ambassadors including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kelly Oubre Jr., Tyler, The Creator, Dwyane Wade, Magic Johnson, and Michael Jordan, which left this campaign image standing out sharply from the brand’s wider history. The open question now is why the image was approved and how long it stayed visible across Converse channels before it was removed.
